This invention relates to shelters; and more particularly relates to a collapsible shelter which has novel and improved mounting supports providing added stability as well as a novel push pin assembly on side support legs which provides for ease of use.
Shelter assemblies having a canopy, collapsible frame with corner legs and a center support are in widespread use. The trend now has been to construct collapsible shelters that are lightweight and can be assembled quickly by a single person. A problem confronting users of collapsible shelters is that the lightweight design is not always as stable as its heavier counterparts. The truss sections are subject to buckling as well as overextension or misalignment of the arm members mounted on the corner legs and center support. Further, collapsible shelters have incorporated pull pin technology such as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,262 to Takiyama or the pull pin assembly in U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,646 to Suh. The pull pin assemblies are typically used for adjustment of the side support legs as well as for increasing the angle of extension of canopy support arms and locking them in place. Another type of adjustable locking mechanism is a simple pushbutton which is well known in the prior art. The pull pin assemblies and the pushbutton mechanism require two hands for operation of the devices. Further, the pushbutton system requires significant thumb pad pressure to allow release of the button which in turn can result in a pinched finger or minor injury. There is an unmet need for a lightweight yet stable collapsible shelter incorporating an adjustment assembly for adjusting the height of the canopy which only requires one hand for operation of the device and is easy to use; and further to provide for a novel and improved shelter with added stability and alignment of the shelter frame members.